NMSU Baseball Run-Rules Utah Valley 17-7 To Earn Series Sweep

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Freshman infielder Nick Gonzales sent the New Mexico State baseball seniors off with a bang Sunday afternoon at Presley Askew Field, 17-7, with a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the seventh and completed the sweep of Utah Valley.

The victory came on the heels of a six-run seventh that was capped off by Gonzales’ grand slam. David Bellamy was pegged in the lead-off spot for NM State (32-16, 15-6 WAC) and advanced to second on a wild pitch before scoring on a hard double to right center from Joey Ortiz – who finished 3-of-3 with seven RBI and four runs scored thanks to a pair of 3-run jacks.

Senior Trey Stine plated Ortiz for the second run of the inning before Gonzales’ walk-off moonshot over the right-field wall.

New Mexico State struck first in the bottom of the second, spotting four runs on two hits. The Aggies were patient at the plate all inning and ran after Bellamy’s grounder to second scored Gonzales. A couple walks and a single later, the Aggies gave Alex Pinedo the 4-0 lead when he took the hill in the third.

Utah Valley (14-31, 5-13 WAC) cut its deficit in the next half inning and scoring a pair of runs. However, the Aggies answered right back with another four spot on the board courtesy of Ortiz’s first of two three-run jacks to make it 8-2.

The offensive action didn’t stop there with the Wolverines pushing five runs across the plate, which chased Pinedo from the game after the four run of the game for UVU was scored. With its lead cut to just 8-7 through four frames, the Aggie offense extended their lead to 11-7 in the bottom half of the fifth after Ortiz blasted his second 3-run homer over the left-field wall.

A scoreless fifth and sixth inning from Matthew Perea, who came in relief of Pinedo, held the Wolverines at bay heading into the seventh and NM State on top 11-7. Utah Valley threatened in the top of the seventh with Alvaro Castillo, but the junior was able to shut the door on UVU and set up the run-rule ending.

New Mexico State will wrap up the remaining seven games of its regular-season. The Aggies will first take on Battle of I-10 rival New Mexico on Tuesday, May 8, at 6:30 p.m. (MDT) before flying up to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs for a three-game series in Spokane. ­­